Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, running for re-election as a Republican, said his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Joe Hubbard, is obligated to the Poarch Creek Indians whose three political action committees recently contributed 0,000 to Hubbard’s campaign.
Strange said, “Democrat Joe Hubbard’s campaign is almost exclusively funded by the Poarch Creek Indians, a tribe engaged in a lawsuit against my office and supported by Barack Obama’s and Eric Holder’s Justice Department. Without a doubt, these gambling interests are attempting to buy their way out of a lawsuit by purchasing the office of the Attorney General.”
Hubbard said the Poarch Indians supported him over Strange because since taking office in 2011, Strange has raided privately operated bingo parlors and has sued the Poarch Creeks in an attempt to close their casinos on tribal lands in Wetumpka, Atmore and Montgomery. Last month, a federal judge ruled against Strange and the tribal gaming facilities have remained open.
Strange’s campaign noted in 2010 Hubbard sponsored legislation to ban campaign contributions greater than $2,500. At the time, Hubbard said, “If I’m going to give you $50,000, write you a check tomorrow, and I’m some big banker, whatever I am, if you’re like most politicians, you’re going to feel obligated to me or indebted to me.”
Strange’s campaign noted besides the recent contribution from the Poarch Creek PACs, and excluding 76,000 Hubbard transferred into his attorney general’s campaign account from a previous campaign account, all but $3,000 of more than $1 million Hubbard has received in contributions has come from the Poarch Creek tribe. In March, Hubbard reported $250,000 in contributions from the same tribal-funded PACs. “My opponent is bought and paid for. I call upon him to return these special interest funds,” Strange said. He reported $1.45 million in campaign cash, with many contributions from insurance, utilities, auto dealers and other business interests.
Hubbard said the tribe wants an attorney general who knows the law and enforces it, and does not try to play politics with frivolous lawsuits. “Luther Strange has built his political career on hundreds of thousands of dollars from out-of-state gambling interests, laundered through the RSLC and other shadow groups. His senseless and wasteful war on bingo in Alabama raises questions about who has bought and paid for Luther Strange. In my four years in the Alabama legislature, I have proven that I am beholden no one and answer only to the people of Alabama. Luther Strange cannot say the same,” Hubbard said.
